The Dark Land 2
by Aria6
Summary: Sequel to the Dark Land! The adventures of Axel, Sora and Chemistra continue... and Riku and Galaros! Please read and review! This is a dark, interesting story and I live upon feedback. :
1. Chapter 1

"I'm so depressed." Axel leaned over the edge of the balcony of his new home, wings flexing in the breeze. Sora blinked at him, baffled, as Chem leaned against the wall and took a deep drag of her pipe.

"Let me see… immortal demon, High Lord, owner of this whole building and pretty much all the Dark Land… and you're depressed? Tell us all about it baby." She cooed. Sora couldn't help but giggle, but Axel didn't react to the sarcasm. He really was depressed.

"It's my mom." Axel gripped his spiky red hair in utter frustration. "She wants me to have a baby!" There was a moment of absolute silence behind him before Chemistra and Sora burst into laughter. "It's not funny! She wants you to be the mother!"

"Oh darkness! Axel, stop, I'm dying!" Chem gasped as he glared at her. Then Axel's eyes narrowed, and he grinned wickedly.

"You know, I bet Bon-Bon could arrange a pregnancy for me." Chem's laughter cut off abruptly as she thought about that. Bon-Bon could in fact do it.

"You wouldn't! I'm not mother material! Holy shit Axel, you get away from me!" She immediately backed away, pointing the pointy end of her pipe at him like a weapon. He grinned and stepped closer. Sora decided to interrupt before he drove her off the balcony.

"Why does your mother want you to have a baby, Axel?" Sora asked, and Axel stopped bothering Chem long enough to answer.

"Sora… she's fifty-five years old, or something like it. She's getting old and really feeling the need for grandbabies." Axel ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. "And she's… she doesn't want to face the whole High Lord of the Dark Land thing. She acts like if she ignores the wings, they'll go away. I swear she thinks we can all move in with her and get jobs or something." Sora and Chem exchanged a wide eyed look at that.

"Darkness! You'll end up the King of the Land of Light before that happens." Chemistra observed, tossing her pipe to Sora as he held out a hand for it. Axel leaned against the wall, watching them smoke.

"Or the two of you will give up weed." Sora looked a little shamefaced, but Chem sneered as she took the pipe back. "Good thing it's not really marijuana. Mom just about had a fit when she realized it wasn't tobacco." Axel sighed as he remembered that visit. Fortunately, he'd been able to assure her, completely truthfully, that it was an herbal mixture that was stronger than tobacco but much weaker than marijuana. Unlike the Dream Smoke, you couldn't really get high on it for long.

"Your mom needs to lighten up." Chem commented, but Sora tilted his head to one side, studying Axel.

"There's more, isn't there?" He prompted Axel gently, and Axel sighed, tugging at his hair.

"Yeah… there is. Mom's getting raped at the pawnshop on that jewelry and stuff I give her. But what else can she do? It's not like she can just walk into a jewelers and sell it." Sora winced. When Axel had returned to his homeworld, he'd found all his fears about his mother's situation confirmed. His sister had died in the attack that had torn him apart, and his father had followed only a year later, leaving his mother alone. What Axel hadn't thought of was the impact that had had on his mother's finances. She had dropped out of school to marry his father, and her job at the laundry had been just managing to pay for the mortgage and put food on the table when Axel had arrived. But the money the Dark Land used was completely different from his homeworld, so Axel had given her jewelry and gems to sell instead. "And worse, when I asked her how things were going, she got all coy with me. Like she didn't want to lie but didn't want to upset me. I'm worried that I'm going to have to bring her here."

"That could be a disaster," Sora observed, and Axel could only nod. His mother was a very nice person, but she had trouble treating him like an adult. The demons would only take so much disrespect to the High Lord, even from his mother. She would end up with a knife in the back and then he'd have to kill a whole lot of demons… but it wouldn't bring his mother back.

"You should ask Bon-Bon what to do, if you're really worried." Chem said thoughtfully, and Axel frowned. Bon-Bon was a font of surprises. She had the appetites of a succubus and the attention span of a gnat, coupled with the gifts of a god. But beneath her whimsical nature, there was a great wisdom. She really might have some insight on what to do with his mother.

"Thanks Chem. I'll do that. But…" He vanished in a puff of darkness, then reappeared, his arms firmly around the surprised dark siren. "I'm not forgetting about the baby thing." He nuzzled her throat and leapt back with a laugh as she swung at him.

"Axel!" She fumed as he leapt off the balcony, spreading his wings and flying off gracefully. "Oh I'm going to make you pay for this."

"I wonder what a little baby Axel would look like." Sora said thoughtfully, and Chem's eyes narrowed.

"We're not finding out! Besides, it would probably just take after me and then where would you be?" Sora thought about that for a moment, then grinned.

"I wonder what a little baby Chem would- ow! Stop that!" Sora laughed as Chem poked him with her pipe, then leapt off the balcony himself, spreading black feathered wings. "Later Chem!" He had an errand in mind, and wanted to keep it a secret from the dark siren.

It was something she would like.

* * *

"Okay, I totally forgive you." Chemistra blissfully ate a ginger tip as Sora smiled. The little pieces of candied ginger weren't exactly cheap, but they were guaranteed to sweeten the dark siren's mood like nothing else. "Thanks Sora."

"No problem. What exactly is all this, Chem?" Sora looked at the preparations going on around him with a frown. It was making him a touch uneasy. The Dark Land was… dark, and he had an unhappy feeling he was about to see one of the darker aspects. He recognized some of the people on the platforms… in particular, a man wearing a bright red hood who was chopping wood with surgical skill. He was Romain, an artist of pain and the one who often carried out sentences handed down by the First Lords and Ladies. And sometimes the High Lord himself, if Axel was really, really pissed at someone. But usually Axel was a little impatient and just incinerated people himself. Romain was for more lingering things. And Sora had learned to recognize some of the accoutrements of torture… there were whipping posts being set up and some other things he couldn't recognize. Chem blinked in surprise, offering him a ginger tip. He took it, chewing thoughtfully.

"You hadn't heard? This is the yearly punishment festival." Sora tilted his head at that odd combination of words. "Every year, as we go into winter, whoever has been a bad boy or girl gets to take their medicine." Chem grinned wickedly. "I got up there once, but it was just for a whipping. You remember that dipshit who tried to assassinate Blynda?" Sora nodded. An ambitious member of the Hourglass had gotten a bit too ambitious for anyone's good, and had tried to eliminate the First Lady of the Hourglass. That had been a very bad move. Trying to assassinate someone who could see the future seldom worked out well. "He's getting executed today. Going to be the blood knives, I'll wager." Sora winced at that. He knew how that worked… there would be a basket of knives, each inscribed with a body part, and the executioner would draw them and throw them into the victim with painful precision. It wasn't entirely random, though… if a discreet bribe was given, the heart knife could be pulled early. Otherwise, it was pretty much guaranteed that it wouldn't be. Demons liked a good, bloody show.

"Sometimes, I really don't like this place." Sora said quietly, and Chem frowned before shrugging and eating another ginger tip.

"They all earned it. No one up there deserves any pity." Sora nodded. That was the one consolation. Every last one of the demons on that platform had earned exactly what they were getting… and sometimes, worse. At least one of them was a maniac who had killed six succubi before the Rages had caught him in the act. Death by torture was precisely what he deserved. Demons were gradually filtering in, taking spots in the bleachers around the platforms. He and Chem were up in the best spot, the very upper part of the First Lady and Lords gallery. They would have a good view but not close enough to make out most of the blood, which suited Sora just fine.

"Still, I'm glad Riku and Kairi aren't here to see this. I wonder what Bon-Bon thinks?" Sora wondered, and Chem grinned.

"Bon-Bon probably thinks that stupid murderers deserve to die. She's got a lot of demon in her." Chem called in her pipe and puffed thoughtfully as the First Ladies and Lords began to assemble. Blynda smiled dreamily as she took a seat. The light entertainment was starting… mostly whippings and beatings for small, but still significant infractions. For some, the whippings would be their only punishment, and they would be able to return to the Keep. If they handled the whole thing with dignity, their position might even be improved. Demons appreciated someone who could take the heat. For others, though, the whippings and beatings were the final moments of disgrace before they were exiled from the Keep into the city. They might eventually get back… but not for a while. Sora blinked as he recognized one particular succubus being nailed to a whipping post by her hands.

"What did Inspira do this time?" The beautiful, fire haired demon girl could have been Axel's sister, but fortunately she wasn't. Sora had needed to deal with her on occasion and she reminded him of Larxene… only slimier. Chemistra took a long drag on her pipe, then passed it over to him with a shrug.

"Got me. Hey Blynda! What's Inspira up for?" Blynda glanced up from her hands with a smile.

"She tried to ruin Kama's looks by poisoning her face powder. Fortunately, Kama routinely checks her cosmetics for tampering." Sora nodded to himself before he took a drag from the pipe. Kama was consort to Viridia, a very powerful elemental demon like Axel with a large following and estates outside the city. Viridia had a bit of a harem going, but Kama was the clear favorite. "She's being exiled from the Keep." Sora winced. That was the harshest punishment possible besides death. Even being whipped half dead and branded was considered better, as long as you got to stay at the Keep. Inspira must have irritated plenty of people.

Sora looked over the other whipping posts and recognized a few faces, but he didn't have to ask what the stories were. One was an attempted murder of the Second Housekeeper. The reason that demon was only getting a whipping was that the Second Housekeeper had cheerfully attended to the rest of the punishment herself. No one was quite sure what she had done, but there were plenty of rumors. The man had to be carried to the whipping post.

Istava wandered by, wearing a delicate gown of gold lace and a choker of gold chains and pearls. She was clearly looking for a place to sit, and her charms paid off a moment later as Semmins offered her a seat. Smiling ravishingly, she sat down and said something in his ear that made him laugh. Istava was turning into a force in her own right… mostly because she was a cheerful little minx who could charm everyone and seemed to know everything. There were many methods of gaining power in the Dark Land, and if she had wanted she could probably have put together her own entourage.

Axel took his place just as the show began, and Sora glanced over at him cautiously. He was relieved to see that Axel didn't seem to be enjoying what was happening below. His Heartless probably would have, but Axel just watched without comment, his eyes remote. Sora hesitated, then leaned close to speak into his ear.

"Axel… couldn't you do something about this?" It really was a completely barbaric custom. Axel glanced at him, then smiled and shook his head.

"Not really. This is an ancient custom, Sora, just as ancient as the rotation of housekeepers in the Keep. There are some things not even the High Lord can change." Sora nodded with a small grimace. The demons didn't have too many traditions, but the ones they did have were cast in iron. He'd experienced a bit of that even in his single day as High Lord.

Soon enough the lesser punishments were finished, and the capital prisoners were brought out. They were mostly looking worse for the wear… why be gentle with the condemned? Sora tried to tune out the screams. The demons being whipped and beaten tried hard to maintain composure, but the condemned ones didn't bother. For a moment, Sora felt intensely homesick for the Destiny Islands. Things like this didn't happen there-

A warm hand on his wrist woke him up from his reverie, and he turned his head to look into Chem's warm brown eyes.

"I know what you're thinking." She said softly, giving him a gentle squeeze. "You're thinking how horrible it is and how you want to go home. I felt the same, when I first got here. But the good for us outweighs the bad. It really does." Sora stared at her for a moment, remembering her story of how she had come here… and how utterly stifled and constricted he had felt on the Destiny Islands. And how… Axel hadn't been there…

"You're right, Chem. Can I have your pipe again?" She passed it over and he took another puff, looking down as Romain demonstrated his skill with the blood knives. "I wonder though. Could we end up down there someday?" Axel glanced over at them, smiling faintly as he answered.

"Not a chance. If I happened to die tomorrow, you'd both be killed by the next High Lord immediately. You're too connected to me." Sora blinked at that blunt answer, and Chem laughed, throwing her head back.

"Well! I guess we'll just have to keep you alive, oh great High Lord." Axel grinned and Sora laughed.

"I guess so! Speaking of keeping people alive, I'm going to visit my mother tomorrow." Chem lifted an eyebrow as Sora took a drag from her pipe and passed it back. "Blynda and Bon-Bon said I need to." The two Rages exchanged an uneasy glance before Sora voiced their thoughts.

"That sounds bad." Why would Blynda and Bon-Bon both want Axel to visit his mother? It couldn't be anything good. "Do you want us to come along?" Axel shook his head.

"There's nothing the two of you could add to my power." When the High Lord left the Dark Land, he was still the High Lord… although if he stayed away too long, his power would begin to wan. But that would take months. "But if you can put together quarters for her in a nice, secluded part of the Keep I'd be grateful." Axel sighed. "Bon-Bon told me I've been underestimating her and should bring her here. If she wants to come." That made him very nervous… he was still afraid the demons would assassinate his mother. But if Bon-Bon said he was being too pessimistic, then he probably was. Maybe she would adapt just fine.

"I hope Bon-Bon is right." Sora said seriously. "I almost wish I could bring my mother… but I know she definitely wouldn't like this place." That was an understatement. And his mother was happy on the Destiny Islands… the only thing she was missing was him. But that would probably have happened anyway, when he went to University and found a job… the Destiny Islands wasn't very big. He'd probably have left someday anyway.

"Maybe you could bring her for a visit during one of the nicer festivals." Axel mused, watching as the demons cleared the sands… the capital prisoners had mostly finished expiring, and the second half of this would be a demonstration of skill in gladiatorial combat. There would be casualties there too, of course, but every demon entering the games was a volunteer. And mostly quite eager to make names for themselves. Sora watched this part of the entertainment, interested, as the head chef and her serving staff started bringing out flavored ices. Those took a lot of magic to make the ice for, and were a very rare treat. "Hey Sora, what flavor do you want? There's lime, rambleberry, orange and sugar apple."

"Sugar apple, please." Sora said immediately, and Axel grinned, passing him the white ice. Sugar apple had no color to it, but it was a very tasty, common fruit that he'd become quite fond of since entering the Dark Land.

"Lime over here." Axel passed down one of those for Chemistra, and took an orange ice for himself. The demon serving them, a young and pretty newcomer, smiled and took his cart down to the next tier. Those higher up would be served first and would get a much better selection than the bottom rows, but that was the privilege of rank.

This contest didn't bother him, and Sora watched the displays of skill, interested. He was always ready to pick up a few new tricks when it came to fighting.

That was what being a Rage was all about.

* * *

Axel frowned as he walked through the streets of his hometown. His wings were tightly folded against his back, and a small glamour he'd gotten from Blynda kept anyone from noticing them… unless they looked at him very carefully. His mother had noticed them, of course, but she liked to pretend she hadn't.

And Axel hadn't liked to admit that the town had… changed. It had changed a lot, since he was a young man. It shouldn't have changed that much. He wasn't sure how long it had been, but it couldn't have been over ten years. His mother looked older, but not old yet. Probably not old enough for the senior discount on her coffee, although she'd be there soon. So the changes in the town worried him.

There were the normal police, who Axel was accustomed to… but there seemed rather a lot of them. There were also a lot of cameras on intersections that he didn't remember being there before. His homeworld was a lot more technologically advanced than the Dark Land. Demons just didn't seem to have much use for technology more complicated than water pumps.

The real problem Axel had was the second set of… police who were out and about. They wore grey and black uniforms and they seemed to be everywhere. Although he didn't think they were police in the conventional sense of the word. No, they were something else… something Axel didn't like to think about. Because it underlined the fact that his homeworld had changed. He wasn't like most of the people in the Dark Land… he'd been driven out of his world by the stunning, horrible tragedy of having his heart and soul torn to pieces rather than something more personal. But just like most of the demons in the Dark Land, he'd discovered that his home wasn't really there anymore. It was telling, really, how few of the demons chose to go home.

Axel knocked at the door of his mother's bungalow, frowning. There was no answer. He turned the doorknob and to his great discomfort, it opened easily. His mother would never have left the door unlocked.

"Mother?" Axel walked through the house, looking for her… and stopped as he saw the answering machine on the phone. The red light was blinking. Axel pressed the play button.

"Axel!" Axel's eyes widened… his mother had left him a message on her own phone? "If you hear this I need help sweetie I'm… I'm at the police office. They want to know where I've been getting my income. Honey, could you please come help explain?" Axel gritted his teeth. His mother was allergic to public displays of distress, but he could hear the edge of raw panic under her perky surface. "It's the station on Henderson Avenue. Come by as soon as you can Axel, please? Thank you!" The receiver clicked, and Axel checked… the message had only come today. No wonder Bon-Bon and Blynda had told him to go get his mother immediately.

"I wonder if they think she's got a drug dealer for a son, or a smuggler…" Axel muttered to himself. Of course, either of those would be idiotic… why would a smuggler give his mother jewelry to sell? Maybe they thought he was a thief? But that would be stupid too. More likely they just didn't know so they were assuming the worst.

As he left the building, Axel quickly became aware that he was being followed. Demons developed a sense for that sort of thing quickly, if they survived. But he ignored it. No doubt they weren't expecting him to go directly to the police station… but he didn't care what anyone thought. He would free his mother. Any way he had to.

He walked into the police station as if he owned it, and his lip curled as he saw more of those grey and black uniforms. No a conventional police station, then. The logo outside had been different too. What did that stand for? He'd never gotten around to asking his mother about it. Well, it wasn't about to matter in any case.

"Hello." He said pleasantly to the receptionist, a young woman with dishwater blond hair and plenty of computers around her. "I'm looking for my mother. I'm told she's here? Her name is Orinda Lyons." That was his last name too… Lyons… but Axel hadn't used it in so long that he'd practically forgotten it. She tapped quickly at a computer and then looked up at him, her brown eyes cold.

"Officer Taluquar is questioning her. Please take a seat, sir, and he will be out to see you shortly." Axel's eyes went hard at the word 'questioning.' In the Dark Lands, he would have known what that meant. And he had the feeling that it might mean exactly the same thing here…

"I'll go to see her now." He smiled with dark malice at the receptionist, who only looked annoyed. She thought that only a madman would start trouble in a building where everyone was armed. She couldn't know that bullets didn't affect him well. His fire tended to destroy them well before they could touch him. Guns never did well in the Dark Land… sirens and singing Virtues could jam them easily. Flaring out his wings, Axel started away purposefully. He could sense his mother. Now that he was close, the blood tie would lead him right to her.

"Sir!" She called behind him, but he ignored her… and paused only briefly when two 'officers' appeared in front of him, hands on their guns but not drawing the weapons. Axel mantled his wings, opening them with a quick snap. The two officers' eyes widened as the glamour shredded. One cursed and pulled out his weapon… then dropped it with a yelp as the metal turned red hot.

"Out of my way." He said, voice silken and deadly. "Or your guts will be on the ground." Lifting his hands, he extended his sharp nails. They were retractable now, like a cats' claws, and he was as deadly with them as any big cat. But the two men weren't moving and Axel really had no patience for this. Wading through them, he slashed them both but left them alive and bleeding. The next person to step out, a woman, wasn't so lucky. A quick blast of fire and his way was clear. He slammed the door open and continued further into the station. Highly irritated, he started setting the place on fire around him for no more reason than he could. Well. That and the pain and torment he could sense, ground into the very stones of this building. It felt a bit like the Keep, in fact… but the Keep was ancient and had honestly earned its legacy of pain. This building had to be less than ten years old. What had been done here to give it this feeling?

But Axel didn't care. It would be purged with fire. Alarms were going off and sprinklers were trying to put out the fires he left in his wake. More of the 'officers' came out to greet him… some survived with cuts, but most didn't. Finally Axel reached the room he could sense his mother in, and tore the door off its hinges in one easy movement. Luckily, his mother was alone now and Axel snarled in rage as he saw the fear on her face… and the dark circles under her eyes. Clearly they hadn't gotten far with the interrogation, or at least they had been starting easy, but he could sense the exhaustion in her. They hadn't been letting her sleep.

"Axel!" Ignoring the fires and the screams, the growing heat and smoke, she sobbed and flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He could feel the desperate strength of her grip.

"It's okay mom." Axel whispered into her ear, seeing the bright red hair… still unstreaked with white or silver, and the exact same shade as his own. "I'm taking you to the Dark Land. You'll live with me now." In a last gesture of malice, he ignited the entire room, a pulsing ripple of dark fire. There was no way the firefighters would save this place now. None at all.

Axel didn't care. A moment later, he and his mother were gone back to the Dark Land.

They would never return.


	2. Quick Decisions

Galaros stood in the Needle of Light, quietly thinking about the future.

He had moved from the Land of Light to Erie, to help maintain things there. The demons and angels in Erie both answered to him, which seemed to work well with Bon-Bon's support. Axel hadn't been able to stay. The Dark Land was too dangerous, too heavily populated. It needed the attention of the High Lord to keep things down to a slow simmer. That was nothing like the Land of Light, when they weren't at war with the demons. The angels could get on quite well without him.

He slowly glanced around at the Needle. It was a new construction, a beautiful tower built in the angelic style. There were plenty of demon buildings too… it seemed like the architects on both sides were trying hard to outdo each other. Galaros thought the demons would have a difficult time beating the Needle. It was pale stone, set with more of his glorious glass windows to give it color, and reached up very high into the sky. The Virtues had even managed to put in a lift, for the non-flying angels and demons. It was magical and soundless, bringing people to any level they cared to visit. Naturally, the Virtues had made the top couple of levels their home. The uppermost level was almost a replicate of the Eye of Light, in fact, with the same cherry trees and the addition of orange trees from the Dark Land. It was very beautiful up here.

If only there was one particular person there to share it with. Galaros sighed to himself. It was going to be some time before Riku finished his last year of school. But he could be patient. He was very old, after all. Although… Galaros tilted his head as he had a thought. Thinks were going quite well here. Perhaps he could… go visit Riku for a week or two, possibly a month? Bon-Bon could easily transport him to the Destiny Islands. Bon-Bon was turning out to be like a god… only moreso, since most of the Olympian gods couldn't open portals to other realms as easily as breathing.

Before he even knew he had decided, Galaros found himself flying down the side of the tower. He knew where Bon-Bon was right now… he could sense her brilliant power easily. She was in one of the demon buildings, a low slung, comfortable structure that was being used as a general meeting hall. As he entered the building, Galaros paused for a moment to study the Golden Child. Her appearance hadn't changed much since she had first come among them. She was still wearing a white sundress with a gold, floral print in one corner. Her long hair was split into two sections, each capped by a large pink sphere and her face had a pert, cheerful beauty. Her eyes were a vibrant green, a perfect match for Axel's. The only real change in her since the first day she had been born was her horns. Instead of leaving the golden horns alone, she had had golden jewelry fitted to them, studded with diamonds and dangling little charms. It was a beautiful effect.

"…So I really think we should do this." Bon-Bon was trying to sell an idea to a small circle of demons and angels. They were all looking highly dubious. Galaros met Artemis gaze, and she made a grimace. What was going on?

"What's this?" He asked curiously, and Bon-Bon looked up with a brilliant smile.

"Galaros! I was hoping you would stop by." Galaros lifted his eyebrows, wondering what atrocity she was trying to inflict on them. Bon-Bon had many ideas and while some were brilliant, a lot of them were quite insane. From the looks of the people around her, this one was on the insane side. Although maybe Bon-Bon was right, you could never be sure. "I think demons and angels need to be fertile." Galaros blinked. "Not VERY fertile, but fertile. The population has no natural growth at the moment, and it's going down quite a bit in the Dark Lands, actually."

"Really?" Was all he could think to say. How were the demons dying off that much? But then, they were demons. They could easily think of something deadly to do just for fun.

"Really. They're a bit crazy over there and peace seems to have sparked off a whole bunch of safaris into the deep South. I don't know if you know much about that, but it's just as dangerous as the deep North." Galaros winced at that. The deep North, or the ice tombs, was obscenely dangerous for angels to travel in… unless they happened to be seraphim. Seraphim could usually get out alive, although that was not assured. There were violent ice storms, gale force winds, and a cold that made the rest of the Land of Light feel warm as the Dark Lands. But the rewards for such a trip were great… the ice tombs were full of precious metals and gems. Not to mention the rare ice plums, which could be used to make sweet mead with magical properties… it could give you a vision of the future. That was the only worthwhile part of such a trip, in Galaros' opinion. The visions imparted by the sweet mead were truly profound.

"You might have a point." The angels and demons all stared at him, and he could almost hear what they were thinking… that they had gotten by just fine for centuries with no children, and was he insane? Galaros smiled gently at them. "It might do us some good to be a bit more… attuned to the cycles of nature. Other creatures breed here, after all, or we would have no wildlife. But I do think that we should be very infertile, so the children will be treasured. Especially by the demons." If children were common in the Dark Land… well. Demons preyed on each other all the time, and children could easily suffer the same fate.

"I'd say that's offensive, but you're right, we're a pack of bastards." One of the demons at the table acknowledged. "I just shudder to think how all the women will react. I see a growth industry in condoms." There were quite a few winces around the table, and Artemis actually giggled at the thought. "Time to invest in the rubber plants." Artemis laughed out loud at that, and Bon-Bon looked satisfied.

"It's decided then! I'm going to look into that." From the looks on some of the angels and demons faces, they were trying to remember when exactly they had agreed to Bon-Bon's proposal. But there was no point in fighting it, and the group broke up to give him some time alone with Bon-Bon. "So what exactly did you need Galaros?"

"You probably already know." He said, amused, and Bon-Bon flashed him an urchin grin. "I would like to go to the Destiny Islands to see Riku. Is that possible?"

"Sure thing! And just remember Galaros… things can always get better!" Galaros blinked at the cryptic utterance, and looked at Bon-Bon carefully. Had she felt something? Bon-Bon could see the future sometimes, although she wouldn't tell anyone exactly what she had seen. But the smile she was giving him seemed… pleased? "Want to go now?"

"If you could." There was no real reason to wait. Bon-Bon could handle everything in his absence. She laughed, lifting her hands, and abruptly the world… changed.

Galaros looked around, stunned by the abrupt shift… and even more stunned by the realization that he was vastly overdressed. Erie was cold enough that a few light furs were not amiss. But he was standing on a tropical beach now, and he could already feel the sweat beading under the leathers and furs. Muttering a few swear words, he quickly pulled away the furs, followed by his leather over shirt. He was still overdressed in slacks and a long sleeved shirt, but it wasn't actively painful. Hanging the extra clothing over one arm, he made his way off the beach.

But where was he going? Galaros quickly realized that he had absolutely no idea. He could have flown around and looked but… he didn't think many people had wings in Riku's world. Although he actually knew very little about it, aside from the anecdotes Riku had relayed to him.

Walking away briskly, he tried to find any building that might be a school. Wiping away a bit of sweat from his forehead, he paused to ask an older woman for directions. Looking quite charmed, she gave him a street name and a few directions… although they mostly consisted of turning left at the general store. The Destiny Islands were not very big at all.

It suddenly occurred to him that this whole thing had not been very well thought out. Strange. He usually was quite good at planning… but where was he going to stay? With Riku? Riku's parents might not be too pleased with that. He did have money on him, but it was Land of Light currency… which was mostly gold and silver, so it would have value, but he'd need to get it changed.

When he reached the school, it looked like they were on recess… or perhaps they were done for the day. There were plenty of children outside playing, of all ages. Galaros hesitated, looking around in vain for Riku. A teacher was frowning at him… probably because he was a stranger and too old to be a student, although not by much. Galaros sighed, running a hand through his hair and adjusting the clothing on his arm. He finally decided to approach the teacher, honesty being the best policy… well, sometimes.

"Hello. I'm looking for a friend of mine, his name is Riku?" Her frown didn't ease much, and the children were all giving him curious looks. But then…

"Galaros!" Galaros turned to look as Kairi slid easily through the playground. She seemed astonished to see him, but pleased. "How have you been? Oh, how did you get here?" That was truly astonishing. In fact, it should have been impossible. Galaros smiled at her, pleased to see her.

"I had Bon-Bon send me. Things are very calm in the Land of Light, at the moment, and I wanted to see Riku. Is he around?" Galaros couldn't spot him, and that silver hair was quite distinctive. Kairi frowned.

"He's at home sick. But you could go see him." She hesitated a moment… she would get in trouble for it. But… "I'll take you there. It won't take long."

"Kairi, you have classes." The teacher said with a frown, giving Galaros a considering look. She still didn't know him… but Kairi's friendliness counted for a lot. Everyone knew Kairi, Riku and Sora had made many friends in their travels.

"I know, I'll make it as fast as I can." She promised, and the teacher considered it… then nodded. She didn't really want Galaros hanging around the school all day. It would distract the students, if nothing else… and maybe some of the teachers. A very handsome stranger was definitely unusual in the Destiny Islands. So Galaros and Kairi started off at a quick walk.

"I'm afraid I didn't plan well for this visit." Galaros admitted as they walked. "It was… an impulse." That puzzled him, now. Why had he acted so quickly? And why had Bon-Bon let him? She would normally have pointed out that he needed a few changes of clothes. He normally would have thought of it. Was there some reason he needed to be here? But what?

"Here it is." Kairi opened the door to Riku's house easily. No one in the Destiny Islands bothered to lock doors. They didn't need to. Galaros frowned, his nose wrinkling as they stepped inside. "What is that smell?" Kairi sounded worried. It smelled bad in the house… not a longstanding smell, but sharp and penetrating.

"Vomit." Galaros said quietly. He was intimately acquainted with the smell. It brought up bad memories… from his childhood, but also from later. He'd never been any use with weapons, really… he could fight now, but that was because he had the power of a seraphim behind him. As a Virtue, though, he had been involved in one war with the demons and numerous skirmishes… his place had been as a field medic. Kairi looked very concerned, and called out.

"Riku!" She started quickly searching for him, starting in Riku's bedroom… and the likeliest spot was the correct one. Riku was sprawled out on his bed, wearing only pajamas, and there was a puddle of vomit on the ground beside it. As if he'd tried to get up and make it to the bathroom, but hadn't had the strength. He was sweating heavily and his skin had a grey tint. Galaros was immediately kneeling beside him as Kairi tried to cast a cure spell.

"That won't help." Cure was meant for wounds, injuries, even broken bones… not something like this. Galaros quickly stripped away Riku's pajama top, and the silver haired boy blinked at him heavily. Galaros looked into his face, and winced… he was sure Riku wasn't really seeing him. Or at least, not understanding what he was seeing. His skin felt almost as hot as Galaros' own. Pressing his hands over Riku's body, he quickly found the source of the heat and Riku whimpered in pain. "There's something wrong inside…" Galaros closed his eyes, and very carefully let his perceptions range into Riku's body. This was delicate and dangerous both. As a Virtue he wouldn't have had to worry, but for a seraphim, touching living flesh this way… one mistake and he would burn Riku from the inside out. Fortunately, Riku was too far into his fever dreams to force him out. Even the least resistance would have stopped him from doing this. "Damn." He could perceive the problem and it wasn't good. Something inside Riku, a small organ, had ruptured and died and now it was poisoning everything else. Riku could easily live without it… but it needed to be removed immediately and the poisons cleaned out, or he would certainly die.

If Galaros had been a medical doctor, he would have known that he was sensing a burst appendix. But he wasn't. However, he was a Virtue who had been through many wars… and he knew what to do.

"Kairi, go make some tea. Asi bark if you have it, chamomile if you don't." Galaros said calmly as he stripped Riku completely. He could do this. He'd done it before, although not for a long time. "And get me some clean cloths." Kairi's face went pale as Galaros gently touched Riku's abdomen.

"Galaros, what are you doing? We should call the ambulance…" But her voice wavered. The Destiny Islands didn't have a hospital, it was too small for that, so Riku would have to be taken to the mainland… and that would take hours. They did have a doctor on the island, but Kairi didn't think he could deal with this. Could Galaros?

"There's no time for that. I can do this. Go." Kairi hesitated, then went. She trusted Galaros. The seraphim briefly bathed his hands in fire to disinfect them. Then, taking a deep breath, Galaros lengthened his nails into sharp claws and began the operation.

If he hadn't been able to sense within Riku and deaden the boys' pain, it probably wouldn't have worked. Galaros had no real medical training. But he could sense the location of every important blood vessel, and knew precisely how far to cut, how deep. And fire was his ally. If Riku began bleeding too heavily, he could quickly cauterize the area. His advantages gave him a degree of skill equivalent to a true medical doctor, and soon the ruptured appendix was removed and sitting on the bed beside Riku. Now cure spells were effective, and he had Kairi cast them repeatedly until the bleeding stopped. Using the cloths, he removed as much of the blood and poisons from within Riku as he could. Riku would still be very sick for some time… but now he should get better. Hopefully.

"I've called the doctor. He's going to be here soon." Galaros nodded, although he wondered what the man would make of this makeshift operation. Probably be horrified… but Riku could use some medicine to control any secondary infection, and Kairi hadn't been able to find asi bark tea. And Galaros knew this world wouldn't have the other tinctures and potions the angels used for wound fevers.

Shaking and covered in blood, Galaros pulled himself to his feet and went to the bathroom to clean himself off. He felt… sick. He'd been so focused during the operation that he hadn't had time to think about what he was doing, but now that he was finished he was tortured by doubts. Should he have let Kairi call the ambulance? Would Riku be okay? That was the main point… nothing else mattered.

Time would tell.

* * *

Axel gazed at his mother, worried. She was deeply asleep on her new bed, and looked like a broken flower in the dim light of the Keep.

She wasn't, of course. A tall, slender woman, she resembled him greatly. Her hair was smoother, less spiky, and she typically wore it in a thick braid just past her shoulders, but it was the exact same shade of red. And her eyes, when they were open, were the same vibrant green. Her features were like a feminized version of his own… and Axel thought he'd gotten the better of that deal. The things that were handsome on a man were a bit too strong on a woman, but she was still very pretty. She'd aged well, with only a few lines at the corners of her eyes and mouth to betray how old she really was.

Axel smiled faintly as he thought about his childhood. His time as a Heartless and Nobody made him appreciate her more, now that he could remember his mother. He'd never thought about it as a child… she'd just been there, his mother, dependable as a rock… but now he knew she'd been a very good mother. Constantly making order out of chaos, she'd managed two children, a part time job and a husband who was very nice but had a terrible memory. Dad had been notorious for losing his car keys, among other things. He'd even managed to forget about a family vacation, until his mother stopped him at the door and asked where he thought he was going. He'd been trying to go to work. Axel still couldn't comprehend how his dad had managed to forget he was on vacation, but they'd teased him about that for years.

Not that his mother was a saint. She had a temper, and could exert a gentle pressure on her children whenever she really wanted something that was almost impossible to resist. That was the thing about her that worried him. That and the fact that she still treated him as a child… or teenager, anyway. She hadn't adjusted to the fact that he had grown up.

But maybe seeing the Dark Land in all its terrible glory would fix that. It would likely be hard for her to think of him as a child the first time he incinerated a demon in front of her… but Axel felt a strange twist in his heart at the thought. He didn't want his mother to see him as a monster. Even if he was, in a lot of ways.

With a sigh, he stood and leaned over, gently placing a kiss on her forehead. She stirred but didn't wake, and he quietly left the room. He wanted to talk to Blynda. Maybe the First Lady of the Hourglass would have some insight into what type of demon his mother would become, although she would usually require blood for that. If so, he would just have to wait until his mother awoke.

Blynda wasn't hard for him to find at all, although he couldn't sense her presence like the King of Light could sense his angels. For the good and simple reason that there were just too many demons packed into too tight an area. But a few questions led him right to her… she was watching a show in the courtyard. It was actually quite good, Axel thought. If a touch on the obscene side. But what else could you expect, with succubi and leccubi involved?

"Blynda." He greeted her, and she turned her head to smile at him.

"High Lord. You want to know what kind of demon your mother will be?" Axel nodded, unsurprised. She might have just guessed or she might have seen that… it was hard to say. "I do not need to scry. Your mother will live up to her name." Axel blinked.

"Her name? Orinda? What does that mean?" He'd never heard that his mother's name had a meaning, before. Blynda's smile turned vague and dreamy as she answered.

"It is an ancient name… it means serpent of fire. Just like you, she will hold the fire in her hands. She will be an elemental demon." Axel swallowed. He hadn't expected that. If anything, he'd expected his mother to be a siren or maybe a succubus. Elemental was the catch-all category for a demon that used the elements and didn't fit into any other category… and they tended to be powerful. Very powerful, sometimes. It was a bit unsettling… but after a moment of reflection, Axel decided it was a good thing.

At least his mother would probably be able to defend herself, if push came to shove.

* * *

"Y'know, Sora, I've been thinking." Chemistra said quietly, smoking on her pipe.

"Hmm?" Sora looked out over the city. It was a beautiful sight at night… lit with lanterns and the same phosphorescent lights the demons used in the Keep. He and Chem had drawn the night patrol this week, so at the moment they were perched on a spire like a pair of gargoyles. Which annoyed the real gargoyles to no end, but that was just too bad.

"I've been thinking about what Axel said. You know, about grandbabies." Sora blinked and turned his head to stare at her, surprised. Chemistra had been vehemently against the baby idea, so Axel had quickly dropped it. "It got me thinking. I'm almost three hundred years old, or something like that, you know?" Sora nodded. He knew Chem had been around for a while. "When I was a girl, the only thing girls could do really was get married and have babies. And that didn't bother me. When I was a girl, I'd watch the families in my village sometimes. And when I saw a kid who was acting like a brat, I'd think to myself, I don't want a kid like that. And when I saw one who was being good, I'd think to myself, that's the kind of kid I want." Chemistra paused, taking a deep draw of her pipe. "I even dreamed about having kids. Then… when I was a whore, I gave up on that. Only a damned fool would have kids as whore… and then I was here, and I forgot I even had the dream in the first place. Forgot I ever wanted kids."

"Until Axel brought it up." Sora said softly, and Chem nodded.

"Yeah. I'm still not sure I want them, but… I'm remembering that I did. And maybe I still do. I need to think about it." Sora held out his hand for her pipe, and Chem passed it over with a small smile. "Don't tell Axel about that, 'kay? I don't want to get his hopes up." Chemistra thought that Axel liked the idea of kids for himself, not just his mother. That part of his dreams back when he'd been Lea had involved getting married and having a family. Sora nodded.

"Your mothering instincts can be our little secret." Sora promised with a grin, and Chem gagged.

"Mothering instincts! Darkness, demons shouldn't have those! That sounds terrible." Sora laughed and passed back her pipe, which Chem vanished as she stood. "C'mon, we better get moving again before Semmins gets all butthurt."

"On it." Sora leapt easily from the spire, soaring through the air with a few quick wingbeats, and Chem followed a second later.

The Dark Land might not be perfect, but he would never give it up. He loved flying too much.


	3. Don't Be Late

"I swear! Let's get started without him." Chemistra pulled away the silk blanket from slightly sticky skin. They were both completely naked and waiting for Axel to arrive. It was the beginning of winter, but today was unseasonably hot… and in the Dark Land, winter was just the time it became less hot. And wetter. It rained all the time in the winter of the Dark Land. Sora frowned, a bit uncomfortable with the suggestion.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea, Chem. You know how Axel can get." They were in a threesome now, but there were some limits to the relationship. Mainly, Axel and Sora were the primary couple with Chemistra as a pleasant addition. Chem didn't seem to mind at all, and she claimed to love them both. But Sora knew that Chem cared for him a bit more than Axel… they were best friends and partners, after all. They talked and worked together all day. And even now that he was technically Lea again, Axel had a jealous streak. Sora really didn't want to get him mad at Chem. Axel's jealousy was all too likely to turn murderous.

"He's an hour late, Sora. This is ridiculous. We have to go to that damn play in another hour and I need to freshen my makeup." Sora was caught between a wince and a giggle. That level of relentless practicality wasn't typical of Chemistra, but then, the play was a social occasion. She needed to put on a good front to compete with the succubi. It was a lost cause, really, with their unnatural glamour but Chem was determined to try. "If he takes much longer we're not going to get our freak on at ALL and I'm horny!" She stretched, and Sora couldn't help but stare at the way rich, full breasts moved…

"You're crazy." He said, but gave up as Chemistra's arms slid around his neck and her hot mouth fixed on his. "Mmm… someone's going to kill you someday." Sora would be very sad when that happened, but not particularly surprised. Chem took a lot of risks.

"Maybe, but I'll die happy." She breathed in his ear, her breath a whisper of warmth in his ear. Sora lowered his head to gently suck on her nipples, and Chemistra moaned softly. Chem was the first woman he'd known, and she'd taught him exactly how to please her. She'd needed no teaching to know exactly how to please him… warm fingers found his half-erect member and began gently stroking him, slow and firm, then gently squeezing. Sora smiled and returned the attention, one hand slipping between her legs to find that special spot, slowly stroking the tiny nub of flesh. "Mmm, Sora!" She groaned and pulled him on top of her, spreading her legs invitingly. Sora took the invitation, pressing into the slick, glorious heat under him as her thighs clamped down around him. "Sora!"

"Chem." He breathed into her ear as he began to thrust in a slow rhythm. She felt so good under him… he nuzzled her throat, kissing the soft skin as he speeded the rhythm. They were both oblivious to the door opening.

Axel stood for a moment, taking in the scene with surprised, curious eyes. Then his eyes went flat and hard for a moment… then just as suddenly softened. A small smile played over his face as he watched the activity on the bed, then began to disrobe.

_I must remember not to be that late again._ He mused to himself as he removed his boots. He hadn't wanted to be late, but Viridia had had some pressing concerns about his southern properties. Concerns that were really very serious. Axel was afraid that a different sort of war would be beginning soon… but that hardly mattered at the moment. What mattered now was an absolutely evil idea that had crept into his mind, spurred by a small poster he'd spotted down in one of the incubi hangouts. Calling in some lotion, he lubed himself up carefully. It would have to do. Slipping up behind Sora as he moved with Chem, Axel suddenly pressed his hands against the boy's hips and leaned in, whispering in the brunette's ear. "Surprise buttsecks." Sora squeaked, eyes going wide as Axel slowly thrust into him… and Chem started giggling helplessly. It was somewhere between nauseating and sexy, but Sora quickly recovered as Axel found his sweet spot, thrusting against it with unerring skill. Axel took control of the rhythm, and Sora groaned in pure please at the feeling of being surrounded and filled at the same time. It was hard to hold back his orgasm, as the pleasure quickly brought him to the edge, but he fought it back, eyes tightly closed.

For a long, timeless moment the three demons moved together. Then Chemistra cried out first, her back arching and her insides clenching tightly around Sora. Sora followed, unable to resist that wonderful feeling, releasing his hot seed inside her. It took Axel a moment longer… he'd started last… but he came as well, and Sora gasped softly as Axel slowly ran a hand through sweaty brown spikes.

"…Surprise buttsecks?" Sora managed to say when he had his voice back. Chem started giggling again, then made a small oof sound.

"Hey, guys? I love you both and all, but can you get off?" Axel laughed softly, pulling away from Sora so he could move off the dark siren. "Thank you, that's much better… yeah, surprise buttsecks? Holy crap Axel, you're a pervert!" She sounded delighted with the revelation, and Axel grinned.

"I'm a demon. And the two of you were asking for it, starting without me." Axel said reprovingly. Chem just grinned, calling in her pipe and taking a quick drag before passing it to Sora. Then she jumped out of the bed in a rather sprightly manner.

"You were late! And I need to freshen my makeup." Axel blinked as she made a beeline for the bathroom, and Sora laughed, taking a pull from the pipe.

"Am I missing something?" Axel knew about the play, of course, but he'd never known Chemistra to be that concerned about her appearance. She was a Rage, not a full siren or succubus. Sora grinned, a bit tired but happy.

"I'm not sure, but I think there's some kind of contest going on with the sirens and the succubi." Sora wasn't clear on the details, but he thought the outfits on display would be spectacular. Chem's certainly was, although he'd only caught glimpses of it. Axel lifted an eyebrow, then snorted.

"The last time they had a contest, it seemed to be how naked they could get without actually stripping." He wasn't looking forward to that again. It had been entertaining, but he preferred at least a little mystery when he looked at a woman. Well, except in the hot season right before the move to the summer palace. They could do anything they liked then. Axel looked at Sora for a moment, then sighed and pulled the smaller man into an embrace. Sora blinked, but relaxed against Axel's chest, closing his eyes as warm arms surrounded him. "I can't wait until the two of you are on the day shifts again." Sora nodded. He understood exactly what Axel meant… right now, their schedules just didn't align in any way. They had to carefully plan out when to meet for some intimate moments, and that was a little wearing. Doable, but wearing. They both looked up as Chem exited the bathroom… and blinked.

"Nice." Axel said appreciatively and Sora could only nod. Chemistra was in her gown for the night… and it was beautiful. Waves of black and gold fabric were caught on one shoulder, the other shoulder left bare. The dress hugged her curves, and had a broad golden belt that appeared to be woven gold. It probably was. Chem had been around long enough to put together an impressive assortment of jewelry. More waves of black and gold fabric made up the skirt, rippling nicely and occasionally giving peeks of dark skin. Chem grinned, and Sora noticed that she was wearing dangling, golden chandelier earrings set with black onyx and a matching choker of woven gold. It was a beautiful outfit and complimented her dark good looks perfectly.

"It's okay. I'm not going to be embarrassed in front of those damn succubi, anyway." Axel grinned at that. "Maybe the two of you should get dressed too, we have to leave soon if we're going to make it on time."

"A point." Axel gave Sora one last kiss before going to his discarded clothing. He felt no need to dress up for this, no matter what the succubi and sirens were doing. Sora frowned, then decided to change into a fresh set of his Rage uniform. The ones he'd been wearing before were a bit sweat stained from all the flying. Soon they were all out the windows and flying to the theater. It was a new construction in the town, and this would be the first time they had visited it.

"Nice." Chemistra said appreciatively as they entered the lobby. There were carvings everywhere… very creative ones, often a little obscene. They were all lightly gilded and made for an impressive display of bad taste. There were vendors selling various snacks, but they wouldn't need that. They would be sitting in one of the private boxes and they came with a good assortment of snacks and liquor.

"It deserves a good fire, in my opinion." Axel didn't bother to keep his voice down, and several demons shot him an uneasy look. "Mother would like it. I'll have to bring her next time." Actually, he thought his mother would be laughing at what the succubi statues were doing. Axel frowned faintly as he thought of his mother. He hadn't had much time to spend with her… business was really picking up for him, and they were things he had to pay attention to… but he knew he needed to make time. Blynda and the First Housekeeper, Ylra, were helping his mother adjust right now… but he needed to be there. He'd blocked out some time tomorrow specifically for it.

They went to the box, picking up programs along the way and took their seats. Axel fell silent as Chem and Sora chatted about the program… he had a lot to think about.

Things weren't really going well in the Dark Land. That might have seemed counter-intuitive, since they were no longer at war… but that seemed to mean the demons were turning their churning energy against each other. Axel was having to sit on them quite firmly. Not only that… the High Lord was technically in charge of the entire Dark Land, but in practice he did not control the deep South. When they had been at war with the angels, it hadn't been necessary. The deep South was full of biological treasures, true, but it was too difficult to live in and not much good for agriculture. The breadbasket of the demons was the middle lands, and also the lands close to the angel's borders. That was part of why the fighting had always been so fierce when the angels invaded the Dark Lands.

But now the demons were launching safaris into the deep South. It was actually one of the more productive and innocuous ways they could come up with to get ahead… but it seemed to have stirred up the demons living in the deep South. Or something else was stirring them. Viridia's estates weren't the only ones being hit, although they had been hit the hardest. Something was going to have to be done, and soon, but Axel looked forward to it even less than a war with the angels. The demons in the South wouldn't be as powerful as the angels, but they wouldn't have to be. They knew the land and his demons didn't. Axel made a mental note to promote Desdemona as soon as she got back from her safari. He would need demons with survival knowledge of that area, and soon.

The worst part of it was the persistent feeling that something was actually stirring the demons of the South. Why were they getting so hostile over the safaris, after all? The safaris were not trying to make trouble with the natives. Quite the reverse, they were willing to pay for all kinds of things, and with goods as well as money. Why was this happening? He'd asked Bon-Bon, but she'd just told him that some things couldn't be tampered with. Axel wasn't sure what that meant, just that the future would be what it would be.

"Axel, the play is starting." Sora said quietly as Chem poked him in the side with a grin. Axel finally directed his attention outwards and blinked as he noticed the costumes of the sirens and succubi in the audience. They really had gone all out for tonight… Chemistra's gown wasn't elaborate at all, compared to some of the wedding cake confections he could see.

"There's a lot of bad taste in the audience tonight." Axel smiled as Chem laughed… he'd known she'd enjoy the dig at the succubi and sirens. "I like your gown much better."

"Me too!" Sora said with a grin, and Chem laughed throatily.

"You guys are both so sweet. Never change, you hear?" Picking up the little theater glasses on the shelf, they began to watch the play. Axel smiled… it was an epic story of the Land of Light as well as the Dark Land, involving plenty of love and daring deeds.

He was glad the war with the angels was over. Now if only the demons would settle down…

* * *

Orinda frowned as she looked at her breakfast, not really seeing it.

Knowing your son was a demon king in an alien world was different from really _knowing_ it. She was realizing now that she hadn't quite come to grips with it before. She'd thought she had, but that hadn't really been true. Sighing, she began eating her porridge. Axel was having trouble finding time to spend with her, but that was fine. She'd expected that would happen when her children started having their own lives, and was determined not to be a burden for them.

And the Dark Land itself was fascinating. She still wasn't used to most of it, of course, but she was already making herself quite useful to the First Housekeeper. She had been a manager at a laundry mat once, and it was much the same skills. Blynda, though, was quite odd. Orinda didn't think she was going to have much to do with the Hourglass. They were entirely too mystical for her taste. She preferred things she could touch and feel.

She stopped eating for a moment as a wave of homesickness rolled over her. She really hadn't wanted to leave her home. Orinda was already missing the comfortable house, the comfortable routines and the people at the laundry. She'd liked the other girls there. But it really was for the best.

She hadn't told Axel about the changes since he'd… died. So he didn't know that their country had basically been conquered a couple years after his disappearance. Orinda was grateful that he hadn't been there to see it. Axel would have been just the right age to join the militia, and she was sure he would have… and very few of them had returned alive. And if he had survived, he would probably have joined the resistance movements that had formed afterwards. Things were bad, and had just kept getting worse as the guerrillas had honed their skills. So it wasn't really surprising that the occupiers had begun to get… quite harsh with their new subjects. Orinda shivered faintly as she thought about it. They had suspected Axel of being tied to the guerrillas. If he hadn't come to save her, she doubted she would have survived. She would have been one of the people who just disappeared.

Shaking her head at herself, she kept eating the porridge. The realities of her world made the Dark Land look very appealing. And she certainly couldn't go back now… she'd be killed immediately after what Axel had done. So it was time to adapt.

"Mother?" Orinda looked up, startled. She hadn't heard the door open. Axel was standing there, looking a little uncertain, and she couldn't help but smile.

"Axel!" She stood and happily gave him a hug. It was amazing, really… she'd given him up for dead so long ago. Feeling him real, there and in front of her was always a wonderful thing. Although… "Have you been eating enough?" Orinda frowned and Axel laughed.

"Mother! You know I'm naturally thin." Orinda gave him a severe look, and Axel smiled.

"Yes dear, but I know you've been busy. And you tend to forget meals when you're busy." That was in fact true, so Axel decided to reassure her a bit.

"The cooks wouldn't let me forget. They want to show off their skills to me and the other First Lords and Ladies, so there's always something around." Orinda smiled, taking a seat again.

"Well, that's good. Axel, honey, I've been wondering. Are there any openings in the housekeeping staff?" Axel blinked. He hadn't been expecting his mother to try to get an actual job so quickly. "You know me, I don't like to sit on my hands. And I don't think nature hikes would be a great idea here." Nature hikes were one of her main passions. Axel winced slightly.

"Not yet anyway." When his mother made the transition to full demon, that might be different. "I'll talk to Ylra and see what openings might be coming available." Either they would have to create an entirely new position, move someone… or have a quiet assassination. Whatever worked best.

"She mentioned something about the Second Housekeeper spot maybe coming available." Orinda said cheerfully, and Axel blinked, wondering if she understood what that meant. It meant Ylra was anticipating the Second Housekeeper finally having a fatal 'accident.' Which wasn't really surprising, when you got down to it. The Second Housekeeper was what could euphemistically be referred to as a character. Her slavies had other names for her, mostly obscene. But everyone was more than a bit frightened of her. She was a truly nasty customer… but getting more insane every year. "And yes honey, I do know what that means." Axel blushed slightly, embarrassed that his thoughts had been so obvious… but she was his mother, after all. She could read him like an open book. "But it couldn't happen to a nicer person. Did you see what she was doing to that Falina girl last night?"

"No, what?" Axel said, momentarily diverted. Falina wasn't a newcomer, she was a girl from the slums who was working her way into the Keep under the Second Housekeeper. Axel was only aware of her name because she seemed to always skate out of dying, even when most demons would have bought it.

"Well, Falina might be quite a bitch but I think the honey and the ants were just a touch extreme." Orinda sniffed. "And the whip was absolutely unnecessary." Axel blinked, wondering if Falina's luck had finally run out. Was the succubi still alive? "How she survived that last part, I'm not sure, but she's recovering." Axel was a bit started at how easily his mother accepted all this. He'd have expected her to be horrified by such a graphic demonstration of the dark side of the Dark Land.

"What would you have done with her instead?" Axel asked, curious. His mother looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Given the way things seem to work around here? A good beating and I'd have made her clean out the bathrooms. With her tongue, if she gave me any back talk." Axel choked at the image. "She really was very impudent, after getting caught with a table knife like that."

"Ah." If Falinda had been caught stealing and mouthed off to the Second Housekeeper, she really was lucky to be alive. But she did seem to have a way of surviving. "Actually, mother, I was wondering if you would like to come meet the First Lords and Ladies with me today? If you might be taking the Second Housekeepers place, it would be valuable for you." The Second Housekeeper was one of the First Lords and Ladies. Being a Housekeeper in the Keep was a very prominent position, and the Third Housekeeper had a place in the Council too. He'd been planning to take his mother with him to the meeting anyway, but this gave extra reason for it.

"I would be glad to, Axel. I'd like to see how your Council works." Orinda really was looking forward to it. She'd worked in one laundry with a bunch of younger women and they had managed to raise backbiting to an artform. She was sure the Council of the Dark Land couldn't possibly be any worse.

And it would be interesting.


End file.
